Comments

My wife and I are looking for a 2nd car.We both like the Mini Cooper, and think it would be great to use to get back & forth to work.I am spending $50/week in gas for my Mercury Mountaineer. The lease is soon up, and it's time to find a replacement.I am 6'4", and pretty good sized. Will I fit without a shoe horn?

I have more front to back room than I do in my SUV, which is about the same size as a Mountaineer. It's the side to side that could potentially be an issue; I'd sit in one to make sure you're comfortable (and definitely try the sport seats--much, much better than the standard seats), but I bet you'll be just fine.

I'm 6'4/235#. Just bought a MCS Coupe. Fit is better than any car other than a VW Beetle or a full size SUV. The English Panther leather seats were a bit pricier ($1700 option) but fit great and felt better. David

My husband is 6'6 and 235 lbs. and he swears he has more head and leg room (when he puts the seat back) then my Honda did.

I bought my car new in Texas (faster & a better price) and we drove it home to Washington State. The odometer had nearly 4,000 miles from all the national parks we visited on the way home. I'm more than sure you'll be fine for two hours.

My new love's specs: 2006 Mini Cooper S, Hyper blue w/white top & bonnet stripes, chrome exterior & chrome interior, Premium/Sport/Convenience/& Cold Weather pkgs, black panther English leather interior, cockpit chrono pack, Harmon Kardon stereo, etc. I had a nice long road trip driving it home from out of state this September. We've got just over 6,000 miles on it so far (12/09/06)

It'll be very tight for the rear passengers--I wouldn't want to be in the back. Two hours is doable, but the rear seat passengers are going to be very cramped if they're adults, unless you and your friend up front cheat and move their seats up a few inches. Kids are fine (mine love to ride back there; I'm 6 feet even and it's not a problem for the kids--it is for adults though), but those rear seats really aren't good very good for adults.

I am 6'-2" and 200 lbs. Would a sunroof leave enough headroom for me or would I have to lean the seat back, etc? And though I hear there is plenty of legroom, is it hard for a large tall driver to get in and out?

I have a 2006 Mini Cooper S with a sunroof. My husband's 6'6 and 235 lbs. and he fits just fine. He has more room than in the Honda we used to have. My husband does lean his seat back, but not as much as he had to in our Honda (that also had a sunroof). The best thing for you is to go sit in one and see for yourself.

Our Mini Cooper has been a family car for the past 4 years. We have two car seats in the back right now.

THE BAD:--not enough room for rear facing car seats unless you want to move the front seat up--little space for large shopping trips.--reaching through the door and putting a baby in the car seat takes some gymnastics.--very few baby strollers fit in the back: a good one is the Peg Perego Aria or the Zooper; even the Aria double stroller will fit!!

THE GOOD:--two regular car seats fit just fine.--the kids are close enough together where they can interact but far enough apart where they can leave each other alone.--easy as pie for my 4-year old to climb in her seat and buckle herself in; same getting out.--car is small; kids within easy reach to hand snacks/sippy cups to.

Although the car is small, we have made it work with our two kids. We can fit everybody and have enough room for smaller Costco shopping visits. I'm looking forward to the time when both kids will be able to get into their own car seats without assistance. Our youngest is huge and difficult to put in and take out. But the kids love the car. We'll probably end up buying the clubman for the extra room; the clubdoor may or may not make a difference -- we'll see.

Bottom line: We're happy with the Mini as a back-up family car. The back seat is big enough for small kids on long trips -- we've taken 6 hour family trips in the car. The biggest problem is finding a stroller that fits in the trunk. Enjoy!

I just purchased a '06 and have been looking for an '05 or an '06 for the past 3 months. I discovered that those cars which had leather, showed some sagging and wrinkles in the driver seat (especially where the driver pivots on the left hand side of the seat). However, vinyl seats (Mini calls it Leatherette), still look great after 2-3 years. The vinyl looks like leather and fools most people. Luckily for me, the '06 I just purchased has vinyl seats. They look brand new. Morgan5

Hmmm ... my '06 has leatherette seats and my driver's side seat has a huge wrinkle in it, too. I'm taking it in 2 the dealer for regular maintenance in a week and asked if they'd be able to repair or replace the seat portion for me. I'll try to remember to post what happened after my service appt.